


Making Traditions

by Butlercream



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Autumn, Fluff, sharing traditions, using fire magic for warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-21 23:37:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8264605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butlercream/pseuds/Butlercream
Summary: Cullen and Sphaera take a break after the defeat of Corypheus to chill in a cabin for a bit and share traditions.





	

Sphaera was reading serenely by the window, reading the new book Varric had published. With nothing urgent going on, she had urged Cullen to take a small vacation with her. Now she was relaxing, which was an odd thing to be able to do. Cullen seemed eager to return to work, but the fact that she was able to relax urged him to as well.

                The door opened and Cullen opened the door to the tiny cottage, letting in the cold autumn air. Sphaera smiled warmly at him. He had a pumpkin under either of his arms. Where he had gotten them from, she had no idea. His nose and cheeks were red from the cold and he glanced at the unlit fireplace in mild annoyance as he set the pumpkins down.

                Sphaera, setting her book aside, got up and closed the door, cutting off the main source of chilliness in the cabin.

                “I bought pumpkins.” Cullen said, distractedly looking at the fireplace, and then to her. “Have you been sitting alone in the cold house?” he asked in concern. Sphaera nodded.

                “Here, I’ll put some water on for tea. That should warm you up.” Sphaera said.

                “There aren’t even any logs by the fire!” Cullen complained. “Are you not cold?” Sphaera chuckled softly and shook her head as she moved to the kitchen. She heated up the stove before putting on some hot water. Cullen followed her, watching over her with folded arms, trying not to shiver.

                With the water boiling, Sphaera turned to Cullen, looking him over. She approached him and started unclasping his cape.

                “Sphaera—“

                “How do you expect to get warmer through all this cold armour?” she scolded softly. She looked up at him through her lashes, her fingers still working to undo his cape.

                “Sphaera…” he sighed, a smile creeping onto his lips. He leaned down and kissed her. She greeted his kiss with surprise. She pulled away, giggling, her fingers still laced around his cape.

                “I didn’t mean it like _that_.” She said in amusement. “Here. I’ll show you.” She took off his cape and threw it around her own shoulders before taking off his chest plate, and pauldrons. Cullen aide her by taking off his arm guards and gloves. When all that stood before her was a very curious commander in his trousers and undershirt, she looked him over with a pleased smile, admiring the view for a second before hugging him.

                Cullen stiffened slightly in surprise, but quickly wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes and let the magic course through her, heating her up without hurting her. Cullen let out a small noise of understanding as the small elf in his arms became a space heater.

                “That explains why you don’t need a fire.” He grumbled.

                The kettle whistled and Sphaera parted from Cullen to move it. He caught her wrist and she turned to blink at him.

                “Don’t go.” He murmured sheepishly, as if his need for her presence was anything but endearing to her. She pulled away from Cullen once more to move the kettle off the stovetop so it wouldn’t boil over before burying herself in Cullen’s arms once more.

                “This would be a lot easier sitting down.” Sphaera noted.

                “Hm. Yes.” Cullen agreed, but didn’t let her go. Sphaera laughed, pulling away. Cullen grasped for her. She took his hand and led him back to the couch she had been sprawled on before, by the window.

                He laid himself down on it and she found herself cuddling up on top of him like a sleeping cat. He grinned his signature lopsided grin and kissed her. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat rhythmically thud in her ears.

                She enjoyed listening to his heartbeat. He worked himself to varying states of exhaustion so many times it was good to hear his heart beating, still kicking after everything. It reminded her how strong he was, how much he could take. It made her feel like he was secure, safe, and in those moments she felt that as long as he was safe she would be too, because her heart beat as well, and it beat with his. She doubted her heart beat in time with his, since she doubted something so perfect could happen, but she was certain they beat alongside one another, like echoes of the other. Her heart. Then his. Working like machinery, in perfect tandem with one another.

                His breath caught, breaking her out of her musings. She lifted her head from his chest to look at him in a questioning way.

                “A…A bit too hot, Love.” He said. Sphaera blinked, not realising how much magic she had been circulating through herself and cooled herself off a bit.

                “Better?” she asked. Cullen nodded and kissed her cheek. Sphaera beamed happily at him. Through all the fighting of Corypheus she still came out of it feeling incredibly lucky.

                “What were you planning on doing with the pumpkins?” Sphaera asked, her thoughts and gaze suddenly turning to the pumpkins in the middle of the room.

                “Well, we can make something nice out of the insides,” Cullen said, sitting up a bit and causing Sphaera to sit up as well, now straddling him. “But I was planning on carving them. It is coming to be that time of year.”

                “Carving? What do we carve into them?” Sphaera asked, climbing off Cullen to examine the pumpkins.

                “Whatever you want.” Cullen said, joining her. “Traditionally it was frightening faces to scare off demons.” Sphaera raised an eyebrow.

                “They thought that would work?” she asked. Cullen chuckled.

                “It does seem rather foolish now, doesn’t it?” he looked over her with a look of tender love she never felt she fully deserved. “It’s tradition in Fereldan. Every fall. But I haven’t been able to do it for the last few years.” He glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

                “Well, I would be happy to rekindle your inner child.” Sphaera teased. She walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a few big bowls and knives and poured some tea. She managed to balance it all with only minor spillage on her way back to Cullen. Seeing her struggle, Cullen immediately took the knives and bowls from Sphaera and set them next to the pumpkins. He accepted his tea from her and sat down on the ground in front of his pumpkin.

                “First, cut the top off on an angle so it doesn’t fall in.” Cullen said, demonstrating. Sphaera followed based on his example.

                “So did humans think demons only came during fall, or…?” she teased.

                “I don’t know, actually. It’s just something we always did.” Cullen said. “Even far past the point when we knew it was ridiculous.”

                Sphaera cut out her pumpkin op and revealed the goo inside.

                “Ooh! Look at all the seeds! Cullen, you picked great pumpkins! We can have roasted pumpkin seeds.” Sphaera said excitedly.

                “I’ve…I’ve never roasted them before. Are they good?” he asked.

                “So good! Ewen and I used to steal them from storage as children.” Sphaera said eagerly. Cullen chuckled.

                “Alright, we’ll separate them to roast, then.” Cullen said. “The next step is removing the insides anyway. If you would prefer I can—“ Cullen was about to remove the innards of her pumpkin but Sphaera was already eagerly removing them, laughing gleefully like a child. She hadn’t done this in so long. It was fun. Cullen let out a short laugh at his adorable girlfriend.

                When Cullen was good and distracted with his pumpkin, Sphaera tossed some stringy innards onto his shoulder. Cullen jumped in surprise and looked down with a scowl. He then raised an eyebrow at Sphaera. She beamed at him. He reached in his pumpkin and flung some pumpkin guts her way. She dodged it just in time, finding herself beside Cullen. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder.

                “What are you going to carve?” she asked.

                “I’m not sure. What are you?” he asked.

                “A halla, maybe. Or maybe a demon. Though I doubt I have the talent for either.” She chuckled.

                “I never really was that good at it.” Cullen said sheepishly. “It’s more the act of doing it than the look of it.”

                Sphaera smiled and got to work carving her pumpkin, feeling like she was in total bliss a Cullen’s side.


End file.
